177-pound halibut caught by New Hampshire teen could set a record: "I wanted to do it myself."
The International Fish and Game Association (IFGA) is in the process of determining if a 13-year-old from Hampton, New Hampshire caught a record-setting halibut. Jackson Denio reeled in the 177-pound fish all by himself and it just may be the largest North Atlantic halibut ever landed by someone under 16 years old.
13-year-old catches 177-pound fish
"I didn't want anybody touching the rod. I wanted to do it myself," laughed Denio. "Thirty seconds into the fight it started to fight like a halibut."
"Even some young adults that age when they hook up on a fish like that, they usually pass the rod off," said Captain Jim Walsh, who was there when the fish was caught. "Everyone was coaching him on, and he fought that thing to the end."
Walsh is with Al Gauron Deep Sea Fishing out of Hampton Beach. They left the nearby marina on a more than 20 hour fishing trip on a boat named the American Classic.
"Around 8:30, I decided I was going to put out the shark rod that I brought, and one of the mates, Angelo, he said, 'Drop it all the way to the bottom and see what happens,'" said Denio.
Fish is taller and weighs more than him
He fought to reel in the fish for more than 30 minutes. The halibut is 3 inches taller than Jackson, and more than 50 pounds larger than him.
"It possibly could be an international record with the size and his age," said Walsh. "That was a prize of a prize. I got to tip my hat to him."
Denio says it may be days before the IFGA can confirm if his catch is indeed a record for a junior angler. As for the present condition of the fish, Jackson has an answer for that too.
"One of the captains, Captain Jackson, he cut up the fish too. It took us a couple of hours, but we steaked it up," laughed Denio.
Denio said he has yet to taste the fish.